Some thoughts from Wagah

I recently visited the Wagah border, a tourist attraction for every pilgrim who visits the Golden Temple. After a gap of almost two decades,...

I recently visited the Wagah border, a tourist attraction for every pilgrim who visits the Golden Temple. After a gap of almost two decades, I was taken aback to see that the border had morphed into a chauvinist8217;s paradise.

When I came the last time, I had brought my two little boys who were shown the 8216;border8217; and the huge 8216;Pakistani8217; rangers on the other side, as if they were extra terrestrial creatures. I can still recapitulate their awed expressions, and the thrill we adults experienced of setting one foot across the border in conscious defiance of the authority of the border line. At sundown the flags came down on either side, and the spiffy soldiers marched with their boots clicking. One felt an overwhelming surge of patriotism and emotions were duly charged. But it was a very subtle and private expression. It was the same on the other side too.

However, today, despite tremendous endeavours at mutual rapproachment, and talk of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus, the scene exudes chauvinism. On either side of the border, seats were built for the public to witness the bus ride by the former PM A.B. Vajpayee. Today, people are seated as if at a theatre programme, the actual flag ceremony marginalised amidst loud slogans of 8216;Bharat Mata Ki Jai8217;. On the other side, one can hear 8216;Pakistan Paindabad8217; striking a similarly high pitch. In the background, the loud strains of patriotic Hindi film music whips up the emotions of the mobs.

Mammoth efforts are on to revive trade links as well as cultural interaction between the two countries. But this shouting match is not conducive for any rapproachment, it can only stoke the dying embers of xenophobia. An enormous bonhomie exists between ordinary people, as the cricket matches reflect.

Borders are actually not visible. It is the wire fences, gates, floodlights and watch towers that provide the physical reality of the relationship between nations. One has grown up hearing stories from grandparents about how people would drive from Amritsar to Lahore, have tea, see a movie and return in the evening, till history went awry and the ink lines were drawn on paper.

The loud slogans at Wagah threaten to resurrect more negative times. In fact, the solemn ceremony of the raising and lowering of flags, the percussive march of the boots have always subtly conveyed a mutual respect even in the worst times in a backdrop of pin drop silence. Let us mutually endeavour to open up our hearts and borders, so that we can traverse the roads our grandparents did. To have tea and pastries in Lahore and return to Amritsar in the evening.